When Things Get Dirty
by nicolelylewis
Summary: When the Hardy men go on vacation, Fenton gets attacked. Then the next night, Joe gets kidnapped by the same person. It's up to Frank and Fenton to find him before it's too late. Will Joe survive? Who's the attacker/kidnapper? R&R! COMPLETE!
1. The Attack

**A/N:** Yay, I finally finished this story! So I started this sometime in high school (between 2008-2012) and I just didn't work on it for the longest time...but now it's done! Hope you enjoy it! :)

Also, I didn't even think about adding Laura into the story and when I did, it was a little too late...so, she's not in this story

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Attack**

It was a beautiful Sunday morning when the Hardy men, 18-year-old Frank, 17-year-old Joe, and their father Fenton, were packing up for their yearly "Men's Retreat" that they've been taking ever since the boys were 6 and 7. This year they were going to the gorgeous Miami Beach in Florida. Fenton and Frank had both packed the night before because their flight was scheduled to leave at 8 am. So while they were downstairs waiting, Joe, of course, waited till the last minute to pack. "Come on Joe! The plane's going to leave without us!" yelled Fenton to his youngest son.

"I'm coming!" the 6 foot blond yelled back, coming down the stairs. He set his suitcases next to his father's and brother's and said, "Okay, let's go!" He looked up to see them staring at him with their arms crossed. "What?" he asked.

"It's about time," Frank said as their dad rolled his eyes, picked up his suitcases, and took them to the cab that was waiting. "You know, you do this every year; wait till the last minute to pack, making us late for the plane. One of these days we're going to leave without you," he continued, picking up his suitcases and following their dad to the cab with Joe right behind.

Joe smiled. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You say that every year and you never do it. You love me too much to leave me behind!" he beamed.

The 6 foot 1 brunette rolled his brown eyes and scoffed at his brother. "That's what you think," he mumbled, putting the suitcases in the trunk of the cab.

Joe glared at him with his blue eyes, making Frank laugh. "Hey, hey. Let's be nice here. Remember, this is a _vacation_ , we're supposed to enjoy ourselves," Fenton said, standing between his sons with his arms around their shoulders.

"It's no vacation with Frank here," mumbled Joe. He ducked when Frank's hand went around Fenton and tried to smack him across the head.

"Okay that's enough," Fenton told his sons in a firm voice, yet he couldn't stop laughing. "Now," he said in a serious tone, "there will be none of that on this vacation. Whatever wisecrack, comment, or anything you have can be saved until we get home. Deal?"

Frank and Joe looked at each other. "Deal," they said in unison, shaking each other's hand.

"Good, now let's go!" their dad said, getting in the taxi with his sons right behind him. He told the driver where to go and before they knew it, they were getting on the airplane, heading to Florida.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

A few hours later, the plane landed in Miami. The men got off, got their luggage, and hailed a taxi. Soon they were on their way to the hotel that they made reservations for. They got two rooms that adjoined, both with beautiful views of the ocean; Fenton in one and the boys in the other. "So, what should we do first?" asked their dad, who was sitting in one of the chairs in the boys' room.

"We could go surfing?" suggested Joe, who was putting his stuff away. Fenton and Frank nodded in agreement. "Sweet. Let's get suited up then!" he said excitedly.

Fenton went back to his room and in a few minutes, all three were in their trunks, their rented surfboards in hand, and were headed towards the beach. When they got there, Fenton picked out a nice spot to sit while he watched his sons go out in the water. They even got to meet and hang out with some kids that were around their age. Of course it wasn't long before both boys got some of the girls' numbers. After they said goodbye, they went to where their father was napping. "Hey dad," they said.

Fenton woke up in a start. "Oh, hey boys," he said, yawning and sitting up.

"Dad, if you're too tired, we can always go back home," Joe said with a smile.

Fenton shook his head. "No, I'm fine. So, how was the water?" he asked them. They began to tell him what had happened after he fell asleep, right up to the part where they got the phone numbers. "Of course," their dad said, laughing. "I should have known that wherever we went, you boys would find some girls!"

The boys smiled. "Hey, where do you think we got these charming good looks from anyway?" Frank said.

"Not from ME, I know that!" their dad said jokingly, with the boys laughing. After a while, they packed up and left the beach. Frank and Joe had gone on ahead while their father was a few feet behind. The boys had turned a corner and walked a few feet when they heard their dad yell.

They both looked at each other for a split second before they ran around the corner to find a figure in the shadows leaning over another man, who they assumed was their father. "Hey!" Joe yelled, running towards the two men. The figure looked up and ran off, with Frank in hot pursuit behind him. "Dad!" Joe yelled when he reached his father. Fenton was unconscious and had a nasty cut above his eye. "Dad? Can you hear me?" he asked, receiving no answer.

He looked up when he heard footsteps running in his direction. He was relieved to see that it was his brother. "No use," Frank panted, his hands on his knees. "I lost him. How is he?" he asked, coming closer.

"Not good," responded his brother. "He has a cut above his eye and he's unconscious. We have to get him to the hospital," he said, looking at Frank.

Frank nodded. "Okay. I think that guy might still be around here, so no use for you staying here and me getting help," he said. "The hotel's not far from here. We have enough strength to carry him there," he continued.

Frank and Joe carefully picked their father up, swung his arms around their shoulders, and walked towards their hotel. When they got there, they told the clerk to call 911 and ask for the police and an ambulance. A few minutes later, both had arrived and had taken the Hardy's to the nearest hospital.


	2. Kidnapped!

**A/N:** I meant to post this earlier today, but I got a little busy...but thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it!

(coffee bean - thanks :) I get a little annoyed by authors who don't finish their stories...that's why I write mine out completely before putting it on here)

Now here's the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Kidnapped!**

At the hospital, the boys were in the waiting room. Frank was sitting down and Joe was pacing back and forth, waiting for the news on their father. "Joe, sit down. You're going to wear a hole in the floor," Frank told his brother.

"I can't sit, I have to do something," Joe responded.

Frank shook his head and let out a sigh. "Joe, I'm sure dad's going to be fine," he reassured him.

"Right you are," came a voice the boys didn't recognize. They both looked up to see a man around their father's age, with more gray in his hair than Fenton's, wearing a white coat. His name tag attached to the coat read "Dr. Sherman". "Are you boys Fenton Hardy's sons?" he asked them.

Frank stood up and walked up to him. "Yes sir. I'm Frank Hardy, and this is my younger brother Joe," he told the doctor, pointing to Joe. "How's our dad doing?"

Dr. Sherman shook both of their hands when Frank introduced them, then smiled. "Your father is a strong man with a hard head. All he had besides that cut was a mild concussion. He'll be perfectly fine," he told them, receiving two big breaths of relief.

"Can we see him?" asked Joe.

"Sure," the doctor said, nodding his head. "Just go down that hallway, make a left, and it's the first door on your right," he directed them, pointing down the hall.

"Thanks," the boys said together while Frank put his hand on Dr. Sherman's back. They followed the directions that the doctor told them and pretty soon, we're in their father's room.

Fenton was sitting in a hospital bed with an IV in his hand and a bandage covering his cut. He smiled when he saw his sons come in the room. "It's about time I see familiar faces in this place," he said, smiling.

The boys returned the gesture and sat down in the chairs that were next to the bed. "How are you feeling dad?" asked his oldest.

"Besides this headache? Fine. These nurses and doctors are taking really good care of me," he told them.

Joe looked at his brother and then at his father. "Dad? Can you tell us what happened?" he asked.

Fenton nodded. "Sure," he said, taking a deep breath. "I was right behind you boys when I heard footsteps behind me…I thought nothing of it at first. Then he grabbed me from behind, threw me to the ground, and hit me over the head. I don't know what he used, maybe a gun or something. After he hit me, everything went black. Next thing I know, I wake up here," he explained.

"Did you see his face?" asked Frank, receiving a shake of the head and a 'no'. Frank looked down, then back up. "Well whoever this was, he was probably looking to rob you or something. He might of too, if Joe and I hadn't of heard you yell and come running."

"Yeah, you're probably right Frank. Once I get out of here, let's just forget this ever happened. The Miami Police can handle it," stated Fenton.

Both boys looked at him in shock. "Are you sure you're okay dad? Or did you get hit in the head too hard?" Joe asked.

Fenton laughed. "I'm fine, really. This was probably a robbery and I'm not going to work on any case this week. I'm here for a vacation with my sons."

Frank and Joe looked at each other with a smile and laughed. A few hours later, the boys had to go home. Dr. Sherman said that he wanted Fenton to stay there that night, just in case. By the time the morning came, Frank and Joe were off to the hospital, where they were told that their father could go home now. An hour later, all three Hardy's were at the hotel, talking in the boy's room.

They weren't going to do anything that day because doctor's orders for Fenton was to stay put and rest for at least twenty-four hours and Frank and Joe didn't want to go anywhere without their dad. So they decided to stay in Frank and Joe's room to either talk about whatever or watch the games that were on TV. It was getting dark outside when Joe wanted to get out of the room and get some fresh air. "Anyone wanna come?" he asked.

Frank and Fenton were both staring at the TV. They were too intent on the game that was playing that they barely even heard him. "No, we're fine," they replied after a while, not taking their eyes off.

Joe rolled his eyes and laughed, saying, "Okay, then." He grabbed one of the keys off of the dresser, made sure the door was locked, and left the room. He went in one of the elevators and made his way to the bottom floor, where he went outside. Once he was out, he put on his jacket and went down the sidewalk.

He was a few blocks down when he pulled his jacket closer to him, getting cold from the ocean breeze. He had passed an alley when someone pulled him into it. Joe was too surprised to get his chance to fight back before a strong hand came over his mouth and a strong arm across his neck. That's when he felt something sharp touch his throat. He swallowed when he saw the object glint in the moonlight. It was a knife, a big knife, and it was pressing against him.

Joe's hands held onto the arm around his neck, the one holding the knife, when the attacker spoke. "Don't do anything stupid," a rough voice whispered in his ear, "or I'll slit your throat," he continued, pressing the blade of the knife harder into Joe's neck. Joe squeezed his eyes shut and let out a low groan when he felt blood run down his throat. "Now Joseph, we're going to go on a little trip," he whispered menacingly.

Joe's eyes flew open when he heard the guy say his full name. "If you do _anything_ , then you can say goodbye to your brother and father. And just to let you know, that's the last time they'll ever see you alive again." The guy let out a terrifying laugh and before Joe could do anything, he was being dragged deeper into the alley to a waiting car. The guy let go of his vice grip, threw Joe in the trunk, and slammed the lid. It happened so fast that Joe's head was spinning.

"If I hear one sound, instead of killing you, I'll just leave you here, go to your hotel room, and murder Fenton and Frank. I hope you understand," he said. "Oh and by the way, I was the one who attacked your father. If it wasn't for you and your brother, he'd be dead, and you wouldn't be here," he told Joe, hitting the lid twice before he got behind the wheel and drove off, leaving the young Hardy puzzled in the trunk.


	3. Speculations

**A/N:** Thank you again for the reviews! It really makes my day to get them! :) I'm also glad you guys are enjoying my story!

(JoeNeal - haha I know, I hate that too! And you're welcome!)

And now chapter 3 :)

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Speculations**

The game finally went to halftime when Frank had noticed that Joe was still gone. "Hey how long has it been since Joe left?" he asked his father.

Fenton looked at his oldest son and then at his watch. "I don't know, maybe a half hour ago?"

"Joe said he was only going out for fresh air…wouldn't he be back by now?" asked Frank, looking at his dad. Fenton shrugged his shoulders, which made Frank worry. "I'm going to go look for him. Stay here, I'll be back," he said.

"Be careful Frank!" yelled Fenton when Frank closed the hotel door behind him.

Frank walked out of the hotel and stopped when he got to the sidewalk. He was stuck to decide which way Joe might have gone and finally chose left, hoping that was the one. He had only walked a few blocks when he saw something shiny on the ground from the bright moon. He walked towards it, bent down, and picked up a necklace that was in an alleyway. He brought it closer to his face so he could see it better. His eyes widened when he recognized it; a cross with a Bible verse on it. When he turned it over it read, _"To our loving son, Joseph Irving Hardy. Love, Mom and Dad"_.

"Joe's necklace," he whispered to himself. He looked up and around him to see if anyone was near. When he didn't see anybody, he stood up, placed the necklace in his coat pocket, and looked into the alley. "Joe?" he called. When there was no response, he decided to go into the alley, just in case his brother was unconscious. He walked a few feet, saw nothing, and then came back out when the moonlight had disappeared. After he looked around again, he ran back to the hotel, up to his room, and bursted through the door.

Fenton jumped when he saw his son come into the room. "Frank? What's wrong?" he asked. Frank was out of breath, but managed to pull out the necklace and hand it to his dad. Fenton took it, not taking his eyes off of Frank, then looked at the object he was holding. "What is this? Joe's necklace?" he asked, looking up.

By this time, Frank had caught his breath. "Yeah. I found it in an alley," he explained. "I tried to look to see if he was there, but it was too dark. Dad, I think something happened to him. Ever since you and mom gave us those necklaces when we were born-" he continued.

"You two have never taken them off," Fenton finished, interrupting his son. "I agree with you Frank. Joe would never take this off, unless he was forced to or if someone did themselves."

"What are we going to do?" Frank asked his father.

"Well we can't really do anything till the morning. They'll probably think he ran off or something," Fenton answered, taking a deep breath. "We just have to go to sleep and wait to report it tomorrow or until someone calls." Fenton looked at his son and saw the worry in his brown eyes. "Don't worry Frank, we'll find him. I promise," he said, grabbing Frank and pulling him into a bear hug.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

Joe didn't know how long he was in the trunk before he was blinded by a flashlight. Before he knew what was going on, the guy had grabbed him by his shirt and threw him to the ground. Joe let out a low groan from the pain. He still hadn't adjusted to the flashlight's brightness before his kidnapper ordered him to get up. The guy led him to an abandoned house in the middle of a forest. When they were inside, Joe noticed that there was nothing in the house besides a couple of furniture that were so old, they were probably made in Christopher Columbus' time.

Joe was then dragged to a room in the back where the guy pushed him down to the ground. He was able to catch himself with his hands before he fell on his face. He wanted so badly to say something, to ask why this guy was doing this, but he was afraid that he would carry out his threat about his family. Joe was kicked in the side a few times before his hands were tied behind him with some rope, his feet were tied, and a gag put over his mouth.

The guy grabbed Joe's shirt collar and forced his head up. "I hope you're comfortable 'cause you're going to be like this for a very. Long. Time," he said, his face centimeters away from Joe's. Then he threw him to the ground, making Joe hit his head on the floor, knocking him out. The guy kicked Joe again a couple of times and hit him over the head with the flashlight before he left the room and locked the door behind him.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

By early the next morning, Fenton and Frank had gone to the Miami Police station to report what they suspected. When they went to the front desk, they were led to Captain Thomas Gordon's office. When they walked in, the captain indicated for them to sit in the chairs across from his desk. Frank noticed that Captain Gordon was in pretty good shape, around 6 feet, and had a mustache. "Fenton Hardy," Gordon said, standing up, "I've heard a lot about you," he continued, shaking Fenton's hand.

"Thank you, captain," Fenton replied. "This is my oldest son, Frank," he introduced him.

Captain Gordon shook Frank's hand. "Hi there, Frank. I've heard about you and your brother as well. Is he here?" he asked.

Fenton sighed. "That's actually why we're here captain," he said. "We think he might have been kidnapped."

Captain Gordon raised his eyebrows. "Really? Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. He went out for some fresh air last night, but he never came back. I went looking for him and found his necklace; the necklace that he never takes off, no matter what," explained Frank.

"Where did you find the necklace?" Gordon asked.

"In an alley, not far from our hotel," Frank answered.

"Okay. Well Mr. Hardy, I don't know what we can do for you right now, but we'll look into it and I'll contact you if we find anything. For now, you and your son can go back to your hotel room and wait there just in case there's a ransom call. I'll have my sheriff go with you so he can trace it if they call," the captain told them.

"Thank you Captain," Fenton said, shaking his hand again with Frank copying him. The Hardy's left the police station and did what the captain told them…they went back to their hotel room with a sheriff behind them the whole way.


	4. Six Feet Under

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews! Just wanted to let you know that this is a Joe chapter! But after this, he won't be 'seen' till later :)**

 **Don't forget to review! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Six Feet Under**

Joe finally woke up a few hours later with a nasty headache. He tried to lift his head up, but he gingerly put it back down when a wave of pain followed right after. He closed his eyes and breathed in and out, hoping for the headache to die down a little. When he opened them again, he almost thought he had a blind fold over his eyes. The room was pitch black with the only light coming from the sun that was shining through a small window above him. Joe tried to wiggle his way loose, but to no avail; every move he made sent pain through his body and the bonds were just too tight. They were so tight that it felt like his hands and feet were going to fall off.

He didn't know how long he had been up before the door in the room opened and his kidnapper came in. The guy walked over to Joe and stopped not far from where he was lying. "Finally awake?" he asked. He bent down, grabbed Joe's chin, and jerked his head towards him. "You know, your dad and brother are looking for you…well, trying to anyways," he told him, "but they won't find you…I'll make sure of that," he continued. "Do you know why?" Joe just looked at him with unexpressed anger in his eyes. "Because I'm one of the 'good guys'," he said, smiling. When he saw the look of confusion on Joe's face, he laughed. "I'm a cop, you idiot!" he yelled. Joe's eyes widened in shock.

He let go of Joe's chin. "And I'm working on your case too, helping your father and brother with the investigation. They're hoping there'll be a ransom call, but too bad there won't be any," he explained, shrugging and smiling. "The best thing is…I can lead them the wrong way and they'll never know 'cause who will ever suspect me? A cop who's one of the best in town, a cop who's well liked in the whole community. So even if somehow you do survive, it'll be your word against mine," he explained, laughing. He stood up, kicked Joe a few times with him groaning in pain, and then walked out of the room.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

It had been a couple of days and Joe was still tied up in the same position. Every once in a while, his kidnapper would walk into the room and beat him with his fist, boot, or a baseball bat. Joe was hurting so much that he could barely move an inch without a wave of pain following right after. There were times when Joe just wanted to close his eyes and never wake up, just so the pain could go away; but he knew if he did that, then his kidnapper would win and he would probably never get caught…he would also never see his family again. He couldn't give up, he just couldn't…not after everything he's been through. He couldn't let the bad guy win and he couldn't give up on his father and brother.

Joe turned his head and wrinkled his brow when he heard the door open. He braced himself for more pain when his abductor walked up to him. Instead of something connecting with his side, he was forced up by his shirt collar. Joe muffled a yell when a shot of pain went through his entire body. His face was brought inches away from his abductor's. "Your stay here is up Joseph. It's time for another ride," he said, smiling.

Joe's blue eyes showed fear and confusion when his hands were re-tied in front of him, dragged out of the room, and once again thrown into the trunk of the car. He didn't know where he currently was, so there was no telling where this guy was taking him; but he had a feeling that he was being driven to his death. Joe guessed he was in the trunk for about an hour and a half before the car slowed to a stop.

He could hear his kidnapper opening one of the doors in the back, grabbing something, then making his way towards the trunk. He opened the lid, grabbed Joe by the shirt, and then forced him out of the cramped space. Joe could see a shovel in the guy's hand and noticed where he was; somewhere in an old cemetery. He was then, yet again, dragged across the earth, and dumped carelessly onto the grass and dirt with him groaning in pain. When Joe looked down and saw a hole big enough for him to fit into, he started to get scared. His kidnapper saw his fear and laughed.

Then he grabbed Joe again and hauled him to a coffin that was nearly invisible by the dark night sky. Joe started to freak and squirm around in his kidnapper's hands, but he held tight. The guy picked Joe's legs up and swung him into the coffin while Joe tried with all of his strength to fight back. "Goodnight Joseph. I sure had fun with you these last couple of days but I'm afraid that your time on this earth is up," he told Joe with the most evil smile on his face. "There will be a machine here that'll give you some more air, but not much," he informed his prisoner.

He slammed the lid shut and started to hammer it down, drowning out the sound of Joe's muffled screams, yells, and the pounding on the coffin lid with his still tied up hands. After that was done, he was able to slowly lower the coffin into the grave before covering it up with dirt again. When he was done, he walked back to his car, threw the shovel into the trunk, got into the driver's seat, and drove away, leaving a scared 17-year-old boy buried six feet under.


	5. Nightmare

**A/N:** Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all are having a good time with loved ones and eating lots of turkey! ;)

Hope you enjoy this next chapter! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Nightmare**

Frank had been lying on his bed for the past hour while his dad was in his own room, waiting to see if there was going to be a phone call. Fenton had noticed that Frank was looking dreary, so he told him to go to bed. However, he just couldn't get to sleep, no matter how hard he tried. He was too worried about his brother; where he was, who he was with, and more importantly, if he was still alive. Frank wouldn't think about that, though….he kept on thinking about all the good times and that, no matter what, he would see his baby brother alive again.

There was just something in the back of his mind that kept on crawling up to the front, but Frank wasn't sure what to do about it. He had a bad feeling about the sheriff who was supposed to be with them, he just didn't know what. He kept on ignoring it because the guy was a sheriff, so he couldn't be that bad; but he kept on leaving, saying that it was police business and then return a few hours later. Frank just wasn't sure, so instead of worrying about that, he was just going to help his father with whatever so that they could find Joe.

Frank got up from his bed and walked over to the window where he could see the full moon. He looked down at the parking lot and saw a familiar car drive in. A second later, he realized it was the sheriff's "undercover" car. He watched as the sheriff got out of his light blue sedan and noticed that sweat was glistening off his forehead, just like the moon's reflection did with the ocean. Frank wondered what he did that made him sweat so much…especially since he's been gone for a while.

He kept on watching him as he wiped the sweat off his brow and as he went around to the trunk. When he opened it, Frank saw him look up…and he was looking directly at him. His stare gave Frank the chills and the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. He quickly closed the curtain and backed away from the window. Frank had no idea what that was about, but besides the creepy feeling of the sheriff, he had no proof that he had done anything, so he just let it go. The first thing Fenton taught him and Joe was to always have hard, cold proof on someone before accusing them or arresting them of something.

Frank shook his head and went back to his bed, hoping that this time, he could get some sleep. He laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. A few minutes later he was surprisingly sound asleep; but it wasn't long before he was having a nightmare. He had woken up in complete darkness and when he tried to move, he couldn't. Wherever he was, it was small like a box, something tight was binding his hands together, and it felt like something was over his mouth. Frank kept on looking around, but no matter how much he blinked, he still couldn't see a thing. He tried yelling and screaming for help, but no one ever came. Then he tried scratching on the lid, hoping he'd be able to escape, however that didn't work either. With the darkness, the tiny space, and not being able to get out, Frank was starting to freak…and the more he freaked out, the more trouble he was having breathing.

He didn't know how long he was asleep before he jumped up in his bed, sweat pouring down his face and body. He took deep breaths, clenched his jaw, and looked over at the bedside alarm clock, telling him it was 2:42 am. He had slept for almost two hours and the whole time he had the worst nightmare he's ever had. He wasn't quite sure what it meant, but he defiantly wasn't going to tell his dad…he had enough to worry about. Frank hoped that this nightmare wouldn't come back again because if it did, he probably would never sleep.

Frank decided to go to his dad's room to see if anything had happened while he was asleep. He walked up to the door that adjoined his room to his father's and knocked silently. A few minutes later, Fenton opened the door and let him in. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?" he asked.

His son shook his head, looking around to see if the sheriff was there. "The sheriff guy gone?" Frank asked, sitting on the bed.

"Yeah, he, uh, left a little while ago," Fenton answered. "Frank, I got a call from Captain Gordon…he thinks there won't be a ransom call. It's been hours and we still haven't received anything, not even a letter." He paused for a second, but Frank didn't say anything. "He thinks that whoever grabbed Joe may have already…killed him," he finished, saying the last part in a whisper.

Frank shook his head. "I'm not going to give up," he whispered. "I'm not leaving this city until I found out what happened to my little brother…whether he's alive or not."

Fenton nodded his head in agreement. "I'm with you, son. I'm not going to leave either," he said, sitting by his oldest. He put his arm around his shoulder. "I promise you Frank that I will find whoever is responsible for this and I'll make sure that he goes to jail for the rest of his life."

"Dad, there's something you should know. I didn't want to tell you this because I didn't have any evidence besides my suspicion…but this sheriff guy, he creeps me out," Frank admitted.

Fenton looked at his son. "You know, I was kind of hoping I wasn't the only one who thought that!" he said. Frank looked at him, puzzled. "I had my suspicion about him around the time we first met him and you're right Frank, he is creepy." Frank then told his father about what he had seen before he went to sleep, but he left out his nightmare. "Hmm…that may be something, Frank. I think we should check up on it," Fenton said, standing up.

Frank stood up too. "How? Tell the police? They won't listen to us when we tell them how weird their sheriff is."

"I know," answered Fenton. "That's why we're going to take a little trip to this guy's house first thing in the morning. We can _pretend_ that we lost something and just look around like innocent bystanders," he continued. "But for now, why don't you go back and try to get some sleep." Frank half smiled and nodded, went back to his room, and following his dad, crawled back into bed and waited for the sun to rise so they could search in the house of Sheriff Tate Williams.


	6. Breaking and Entering

**A/N:** I hope you guys enjoyed 'seeing' what Joe was going through in the coffin through Frank's nightmares…and there will be a couple more like it!

Don't forget to review! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Breaking and Entering**

Since Fenton and Frank didn't know Miami, they had to look in the phone book the next morning for Williams' address. When they found it, they hailed a taxi and told him to drive the five and a half miles to the Victorian home in Sunny Island, a quiet little neighborhood. They paid the fair, got out of the taxi, and walked up to the front door, looking around for anybody or any cars. "Seems pretty normal," Frank said, looking through a front window.

"Well he is a sheriff and if he is involved, then he'll know how to hide evidence," Fenton explained, looking through the same window. He looked around again to see if anybody was watching. "Let's go in through the back and hopefully, he won't come home for a while."

They left the front yard and headed towards the back. When they got to the door, Frank bent down and started to work on picking the lock. After a few minutes, he finally got the door unlocked. "Let's just hope this was worth everything," Frank said as he put his tools away and went into the house. Fenton silently followed behind his oldest son, once again looking out into the sunlight to see if anyone saw them.

Frank waited till his dad closed the door before he looked around. They soon noticed that they were in the dining room with the kitchen to their right and the living room more than five feet in front of them. They walked around the table and headed towards the living area. "This is weird," Fenton said, looking at Frank, who nodded. The sheriff's house was the exact same design as their house!

"Well," Frank said, "everything seems to be in order. Now what?" he asked, looking at his father.

"We split up and look for anything that might have something to do with Joe's disappearance. You stay down here and I'll look upstairs," Fenton answered as he headed towards the stairs.

Frank looked around the living room, hoping to find something linked to his brother. However, part of him was hoping that he and his dad were wrong about this sheriff guy; but even if he had nothing to do with Joe, then he had to be doing something fishy and the Hardy's hated dirty cops.

He hadn't even been looking for ten minutes when he heard a car come down the street and up the driveway. He was about to tell his dad when he heard him yell, "Frank, hide!" Frank didn't want to leave his dad behind, so he ran to the only good hiding spot…the closet. Right when he closed the door, he heard the front door open and shut. Frank looked down and saw a shadow go across the crease of the closet. He was silent as a mouse as he heard the sheriff put his keys on the table. After a couple more noises, Frank couldn't hear anything and he was starting to get nervous. His stomach did flips when he saw the doorknob turn and the door slowly open. The lump in his throat went back down when there was a loud noise upstairs and the door closed again. Frank let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and waited until he heard footsteps go up the stairs before he slowly opened the door and got out.

Frank was relieved when he saw his dad quietly come down the stairs, looking back up every once in a while. "Let's go!" Fenton whispered to his son, grabbing his arm and leading him to the backdoor. Leaving the same way they came in, father and son ran off the sheriff's property and down a of couple blocks before hailing another taxi to take them back to their hotel. They were silent the whole way, not daring talking about what happened in front of the cab driver. They didn't start breathing normally again until they closed the door to Frank and Joe's room.

"That was close!" Frank said, flopping down on a bed and then laying down on his back, arms stretched to the side.

His father nodded. "Too close," he agreed, sitting down on the other bed. No one said anything for a few seconds as they rested. "Did you find anything?" Fenton asked his oldest.

Frank sat up from his position. "No," he said, shaking his head. "What about you?" he asked.

Fenton took out a folded up piece of paper from his back pocket. "I think so; or at least I hope so," he said, unfolding the paper and handing it to Frank. His son took it and looked to see what it was. "I found it under the mattress in the bedroom," his father added.

"What is it? Property papers?" Frank asked, looking at his dad.

Fenton nodded his head. "Yep. For an abandoned cabin in the forest. Now why would a Miami Sheriff buy a rusty old house in the woods unless he was remodeling? And as far as I saw, I didn't see any building tools."

Frank was looking at the papers when his dad was talking, but looked up again when he stopped. "Do you think that's where Joe's at?" he asked hopefully.

"There's only one way to find out," Fenton answered, standing up. "Come on Frank," he said as his son stood up and followed him. "Let's go on a road trip," he added, opening the door and holding it open for Frank to leave. They went in the elevator, went out the front doors, hailed another taxi, and told him to drive the ten miles to the cabin.


	7. The Evidence

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews everyone! Don't forget to keep on doing that...lol! Thanks :)

* * *

 **Chapter 7: The Evidence**

The afternoon sun was blaring when the Hardy's cab drove up to the isolated cabin. They told the cabbie to wait there as they went inside to look around. _'I can't believe my life took a 180 degree turn just a few days ago,'_ Frank thought as he walked into the cabin behind his dad and noticed just how old the place was. "Man, this furniture was probably made in Christopher Columbus' time!" he mumbled out loud.

His dad just smiled and nodded his head. "Now remember, don't move anything. If we find something, then we'll leave it where it's at and call Captain Gordon."

"How are we going to explain the cabin to him? We could say we found the papers in Sheriff Williams' house, but then he could arrest us for breaking and entering," Frank pointed out.

"I guess we'll figure it out when that time comes," Fenton answered, looking at his son.

They split up again, but this time it wouldn't be as bad as before. Plus instead of two floors, there were just two rooms. While Fenton stayed in the main room, Frank looked in the second room. When he opened the door, he noticed that the room was completely bare with the exception of one small window on the opposite wall in front of him. He was going to go back to his dad when he saw something on the floor under the window. He walked up to it and knelt down to get a closer look. What he saw made him sick to his stomach. "Dad!" he yelled, looking towards the door.

Fenton ran in, going towards his son. "What is it?" he asked, kneeling down next to Frank.

Frank pointed at the crimson red stain that was on the floor. Fenton sighed when he saw it. "Do you think that's Joe's?" Frank asked his dad.

"I don't know, but something tells me it is. I'll go call the captain and tell him about it. Come on son," he said, grabbing his oldest by the elbow and pulling him up. "There's not enough blood for him to bleed to de-," he couldn't finish the word. "It's probably just from injuries or something," he finished. Frank could hear the rage in his father's voice in the last sentence.

While Fenton called the captain, Frank sat down on the front steps with the blood stains etched in his mind. With his elbows on his knees, he rested his head on his hands and stared straight on. His jaw clenched and unclenched when he thought about the pain that his little brother went through and the man who caused it. "Don't worry Joe. We're coming for you…and I swear that this guy is going to pay," Frank whispered to nobody in particular.

Meanwhile, Fenton had gotten off the phone with Gordon and had overheard what his son had said. He sighed and looked at his oldest. Frank and Joe have been close since Joe was born, always having the other's back, and being fiercely protective of each other. He walked up to his son and put his hand on his shoulder. "We will find him Frank," he said when Frank looked up. "You two are the toughest people I know and we're going to pull through this," he continued, reassuring not just Frank, but himself as well.

"I'm…I'm scared dad," he whispered. "What if it's too late?" he said, looking at his father.

Fenton sat down next to him. "It's not," he told him. "You and Joe are the closest brothers I've never known…and I know a lot of siblings," he added with a smile. "This will be hard for you Frank, but you can't let it get to you," he finished.

Frank just nodded his head, not saying anything. They were silent until Captain Gordon arrived…along with Sheriff Williams. When they saw the police car arrive, Fenton could see Frank tense up and clench his jaw. "Fenton!" yelled the captain when he got out of the patrol car.

Fenton waved and stood up with his son behind him. "Calm down Frank, we don't want them to suspect what we know," he whispered to his oldest when he noticed that he hadn't taken his eyes off of Tate. Frank looked at his dad, nodded once, and then looked down.

"Fenton, good to see you again…just not in this manner," Gordon said as he shook the detective's hand.

"Same here," Fenton replied. His eyes slightly narrowed and his jaw also clenched when he shook hands with the sheriff. "You remember my son, Frank?" he introduced.

"Of course," Gordon said, shaking Frank's hand. Unlike his dad, Frank didn't shake Tate's hand, but his temper rose when he saw a sly smile form on the sheriff's face. Anything he was about to do was interrupted by the captain. "So Fenton, you said you two found some evidence?" he asked.

Fenton nodded. "Yes, follow me," he said, leading the group into the house. They walked in and was led into the other room, under the small window. Fenton stopped and showed them the blood stains. "Frank found this," he told them, "and we believe it belongs to Joe," he continued, looking at his son who was standing near the door.

"We're going to have to call a forensic team down here to get a sample of it. It looks a couple of days old, so hopefully they're able to get some," Gordon said, looking at Fenton.

They walked back outside so they could call the team. "How'd you know about this place? It's not like someone just told you," Sheriff Williams asked.

The Hardy's looked at each other. "Uh, we were just driving around and found it. Thought it would be a good place to hide someone," Fenton explained.

Tate nodded. "Really? You were driving around miles away from your hotel and just found this house?" he pointed out and then smirked. "You know, my house was broken into a few hours ago. Not sure who, but I believe there were two people," he continued accusingly.

"We didn't do it, if that's what you mean," Frank said, speaking up since the police arrived.

Tate looked at him. "I wasn't accusing you and your father, but it's interesting that you mentioned it," he said, glaring at them.

"Well it sure sounded like you were accusing us," Frank told him, getting closer to the sheriff.

Fenton was about to break it up when Gordon came. "Hey, hey, hey, what's going on here?" he asked. "Tate, come on. Their son and brother are missing, so act like a professional!" he yelled at his sheriff. Tate just let out his breath and glared at the Hardy's. "I'm sorry about that Fenton," Gordon apologized.

"It's okay. We're all stressed so it's understandable," he said, looking sternly at Frank, who looked down like a little boy who just got into trouble.

"Look Fenton, maybe you and your son should go back to the hotel and get some sleep. It looks like you both need it," Captain Gordon told them. He was right too. Both Hardy men had bags under their eyes and their clothes were messed up and dirty.

Fenton sighed and looked at Frank. "I guess you're right," he said. "Come on Frank, there's nothing else we can do," he informed his son, leading him away by his hand.

"I'll call you when we get the tests, or anything, back," Gordon told them.

Fenton nodded his thanks and got into the cab behind Frank. They were silent the whole way; Fenton looking at Frank and Frank looking out the window, his emotions too jumbled for him to talk to anybody. By the time they got back, most people were coming home from their jobs. They went up to the boys' room and laid down in the beds, still not saying a word. Within thirty minutes, Fenton was snoring while Frank still laid awake. He was too worried about Joe to sleep, but his eyes were begging for him to close them. It wasn't until another half hour passed before he finally gave in and fell asleep.


	8. A Little Help

**A/N:** Thanks again for the reviews! I'm glad you're all enjoying it! Frank has another nightmare of what Joe is/was going through and then they'll be another one in chapter 10 :)

This will be the last chapter that Joe won't be in...but you'll probably hate me for the cliffhanger at the end! ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 8: A Little Help**

Three hours had passed before Frank shot up from his bed again from another nightmare. It was the exact same one from the night before and he had it the whole time he was asleep. He wiped his hand down his eyes and noticed that his face and hair were drenched with sweat. He pulled his hand back and looked over at his still sleeping dad. _'Why do I keep on having that dream?'_ he asked himself. _'Does it have to do something with Joe?'_ he wondered. Even though Frank was still a little bit tired, he decided not to go back to sleep because he didn't want to risk having that "dream" again. Having nothing else better to do until his dad woke up, Frank decided to take a shower. _'Maybe that will calm me down,'_ he thought as he walked to the bathroom.

He was in the shower longer than usual, just letting the warm water fall on him. By the time he was done and dressed, his dad had woken up. "Hey Frank," his dad said, stretching. "Did you get much sleep?" he asked.

Frank sat down on his bed. "Not really," he answered. "Probably only three hours or so," he continued.

Fenton looked at his oldest. He could tell he was losing hope and he didn't know what to do. He got up and sat down next to his son. "You can't give up Frank. We'll find him, I know we will," he told him.

"Alive I hope," Frank whispered.

Fenton sighed. "Frank, we talked about this. You can't let it get to you," he reminded him.

"I know dad but every second of every day, Joe is suffering," Frank yelled, standing up. "The longer we wait, the shorter my hope gets. I don't want to find my little brother dead and every day I keep thinking that we will!" he continued as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Before Fenton could say anything, his cell phone rang. He looked at Frank as he answered it. "This is Fenton," he said into the receiver. "Hello Captain…sure, we can be there in about ten minutes…thanks again. 'Bye," he said, hanging up. "That was Captain Gordon. He wants to see us at the station," he told his son, who wiped the tears from his eyes. They got their jackets, left the hotel, and headed towards the police station.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

It was nearly midnight when the Hardy's arrived at the station. "Evening Gordon," Fenton nodded at the captain. "What do you have?" he asked.

Gordon nodded back when he saw Fenton. "Got the tests back from the lab," he said.

"And?" Frank asked eagerly.

"It's Joe's," he answered, handing the papers to Fenton. Still looking at the captain, Fenton grabbed them, then nodded at Frank to confirm.

Frank held in his breath and looked at the floor, not wanting to look at the sheriff who was standing behind Gordon. "Is there a possibility that he could still be alive?" he asked, still looking down.

Gordon looked at Frank. "There wasn't that much blood, so yes; however like I said, it was a couple days old. Wherever your brother is now…the chances are slim," he said quietly. "I'm sorry," he added.

Frank looked up and glanced at Sheriff Williams. Fenton must have known what he was going to do because he grabbed Frank's arm and held him back. The look in his eyes told Frank to take a deep breath and calm down, so he did.

"I also did some digging on the house," Gordon continued as if the scene that played out in front of him never happened. "It was deserted about twenty years ago by the last owner, who I found out died last year. But there were no names on the current owner, even though someone bought it a couple months ago," he revealed.

"Really?" Fenton said, looking at his son, then at the sheriff.

"Yes. I wish there was more I could give you," Gordon said. "We're doing the best we can," he added.

Fenton nodded. "I know, and I – we, appreciate it," he corrected. "Thank you again," he said, shaking the captain's hand. The Hardy's then left the station and went back to their hotel.

When they got back, they sat down on opposite beds, facing each other. "We're getting nowhere," Frank said. "Joe can be anywhere in this whole state and we just barely found out where he was two days ago!" he continued, clearly frustrated.

"The police are doing their best son," Fenton reminded him.

"Their best isn't good enough! Sheriff Williams knows where he is and he just stands there while Joe is God knows where!" Frank yelled. "We have to tell someone so he can tell us where my brother's at!" he said, standing up.

Fenton got up and stopped him. "I know he's your brother, but he's also my son, just like you! Him or you, I'd be scared and worried, but we have to stay calm!" he yelled back. "Besides what are we going to tell the captain? 'How did we know it was Williams? Oh, we broke into his house and found the property papers to that cabin,'" he mimicked.

Frank sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry dad," he said, looking at his father.

"I know," Fenton responded, pulling his son into a bear hug. "Things like this takes time, but we're going to find him before we go back home," he continued. They parted and sat back down. "Now, why don't you get some sleep?" he asked.

Frank looked down. "I'm not tired," he lied. He was afraid he would have the nightmare again.

"Frank, I think you need it. You've probably gotten five or so hours of sleep in the past three days. That's not good for a growing boy your age," Fenton told him.

Frank sighed. "Dad, there's something I need to tell you. There's a reason why I don't want to go to sleep," he revealed. "I've been having this nightmare. I've only had it twice; the first was before we went to Tate's house and the second was just a couple of hours ago. I would wake up in a small, damp, dark space, and both times it felt like my hands were tired and a gag was over my mouth," he described. "I didn't tell you because you were already worried about Joe and I didn't want you worrying about me too."

Fenton looked at him. "Frank, you're my son following in my footsteps…I'm always going to worry about you and your brother!" he smiled with Frank following. "Do you think this dream has something to do with where your brother is at?" he asked, concern in his voice.

Frank just shrugged, but before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door and a piece of paper that slipped underneath it. The Hardy's stood up and went towards it. Fenton picked up the paper while Frank opened the door and looked down the halls. "No one's around," he said, closing the door.

"Well whoever it is, they know something about Joe," Fenton said, looking at the paper. " _'If you want to find your son and brother, then go to Crestview Cemetery. He should be the farthest on the right. Signed 'A Little Help',_ " he read.

Frank looked at his dad. "What do you think?" he asked.

"It's better than nothing, or what we have now," Fenton said. He thought about it for a little bit. "Let's just see for ourselves," he said.

They left their hotel, went to the hardware store and got shovels, then hailed a taxi. When they got to the cemetery, they asked the driver to call for an ambulance, then went to the far right. Finding where Joe was at wasn't hard, since there was only one spot where the grass and dirt had been disturbed. "Dad, look!" Frank said, bending down. Behind a small bush was an oxygen machine!

"It must have been giving Joe air," Fenton said. "Come on, Frank! Let's get him out!" he instructed his oldest.


	9. He's Fallen Into a Coma

**A/N:** Okay, this is probably the chapter a lot of you have been waiting for, so here you go! :)

You may not like the ending of this one either...hehe ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 9: 'He's Fallen Into a Coma'**

Father and son dug as fast as they could, trying their best to get to Joe. It took them awhile to dig up six feet of dirt, but they finally reached the coffin. Wiping the sweat off his face, Fenton forced the lid open with his shovel. Frank held his breath for the worst. Inside was his missing brother. His eyes were closed, he had a gag around his neck, his hands were tied up, and he had dried blood all over his torn up shirt.

Frank stood there, not sure what to do. _'We're too late,'_ he thought. _'He's dead.'_ He was pulled out of his nightmare when he heard his dad yelling at him.

"Frank!" Fenton yelled. "He's still alive! Help me get him out!" he demanded. He had checked his youngest son's vitals after he opened the coffin and was relieved to find a very soft pulse. After Frank came back to reality, he bent down and picked up Joe's legs while his dad carefully picked up his head and noticed that the back was caked with dried blood. Between the two of them, they were able to get Joe out of his "grave" and help the paramedics, who had just arrived, put him onto the gurney. When told about the situation, the medics put an oxygen mask over Joe's mouth and nose and rushed him to the hospital.

Frank wanted nothing more but to go with them, but he knew the medics would need all the room in the ambulance to help save his brother. Instead, him and his dad went back to the taxi cab and asked the driver to follow the ambulance.

It didn't take them long to get to the hospital, which was a relief to the Hardy's. When they got there, they followed the paramedics, who were still giving Joe oxygen, to a set of doubled doors. "You can't go in there," a nurse told them when they were going to follow the medics. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to go to the waiting area," she continued.

Fenton nodded his head and went back the way they came. Frank however, just stood there, staring at the spot where he last saw his brother. Fenton looked back and noticed that his son hadn't moved. He went back and took a hold of his arm. "Let's go Frank. There's nothing else we can do now," he whispered to his oldest. Frank nodded and let his dad lead him to the waiting area, never taking his eyes off of the doubled doors until they turned the corner.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

It was a few hours before Fenton and Frank were able to hear anything on how Joe was. A familiar doctor walked into the waiting room where he was greeted by the Hardy's and Captain Gordon, who had come after Fenton called him and told him the good news. "Mr. Hardy, Frank, nice to see you again," Dr. Sherman said, shaking Fenton's hand and then Frank's. "Sorry it took so long, but we just wanted to make sure your son was treated well."

"How is he?" asked Frank, beating his father to the elephant in the room.

"I'll tell you that your brother is very lucky," he told them, looking at Frank. "If he was in that coffin for a few more minutes, he probably wouldn't be here. Joe has a cut on the back of his head, he has a few cuts and bruises on his sides and abdomen, and he also has a few broken ribs." He paused before continuing. "However, his brain was deprived of oxygen for a little bit and unfortunately, he's fallen into a coma."

Fenton and Frank's faces fell when they received that news. Fenton looked at this oldest, then at the doctor and asked, "When will he wake up?"

Dr. Sherman looked at both men and told them, "Honestly, I'm not sure. We've done everything we can for him now, but the rest is up to Joe. If he wants to wake up, he'll fight it and he will eventually. Until then, we've made him as comfortable as we can," he assured them. "If you want to see him, he's just down the hall, first door on your right."

Fenton nodded his thanks and he and Frank followed his directions while Gordon left to go back to the station, telling them that they'd find the person who did this.

When they walked into Joe's room, they didn't really like the scene that awaited them. Joe was lying in the bed with a bandage on the back of his head, bandages covering his stomach, wires attached to his body, an oxygen tube down his throat, and several monitors surrounding him. Frank sat down in a very uncomfortable chair and took Joe's hand in his while his dad sat in the other equally uncomfortable chair. After a few minutes, Frank was the first to speak up. "I read that sometimes people in comas can still hear what's going on around them," he whispered. "I think I felt what you went through," he told his unconscious brother. "The nightmares I had…I think I was seeing what you were going through and I'm so sorry Joe. But you're safe now, dad and I are here, you can wake up. We'll catch the guy who did this and everything will be fine…you just need to wake up, please," he begged, letting a few tears roll down his cheeks.

Fenton watched this go down without saying a word. He was happy his son was safe again, but it broke his heart to see both of his sons like this. He hoped and prayed that Joe would wake up because if something happened, he knew that he wouldn't lose one son, he'd lose them both. Frank would be here and alive, but he wouldn't be the same person without his brother next to him.

After Frank's tears were shed and Fenton finished his thoughts, the room fell deathly silent with the only sound coming from the heart monitor beeping; the only thing that gave proof that their son and brother was still alive.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

The first night seemed to go by slow for both of the Hardy's, with there being nothing to sleep on besides the hospital chairs. Every now and then, one of them would get up to go to the bathroom or get something to eat, while the other stayed by Joe's side. Neither of them wanted to leave him alone, knowing that his kidnapper was still out there, but also knowing that they couldn't stay there forever. Dr. Sherman had made an exception to the rules, letting them both stay overnight, especially since it was already so late when they came in.

Nurses kept coming and going as well, always checking on Joe's vitals and always getting the same disappointed looks from both father and brother when nothing had changed. Captain Gordon even stopped by before he went to work to check up on them. Knocking on the door, he was greeted by someone saying "come in." He walked in and shook Fenton's extended hand before nodding at Frank, who followed the gesture, not moving from his brother's side.

Gordon looked at the youngest Hardy. "How is he?" he asked, still gazing at Joe.

Fenton took a deep breath, sighed, and looked over at his prone son. "No change yet, unfortunately," he told the Captain.

"That's too bad," Gordon quietly said. He paused before saying, "We still have no leads on the owner of the cabin. Hopefully Joe can wake up and tell us what happened and who's behind it," he told them.

"Captain, we did have some help finding him," Fenton said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the note. "Someone slid this under our door last night and we're not sure who it's from." He gave the paper to Gordon, who looked it over. "Maybe whoever wrote and sent it is connected somehow," he told him.

Gordon was still looking at the note when Fenton finished. "Thank you Fenton," he said, looking up. "This could help greatly with the investigation," he continued, folding the paper and putting it in his pocket. "I know that after tonight, the doctors won't let you stay here at night. I'd be happy to leave an officer here, if you would like," he told them.

Fenton looked over at Frank and saw the look in his eyes; they were thinking the same thing. He looked back at the Captain and said, "That'd be great, thank you." He paused before continuing. "Um, I know Sheriff Williams is your most trusted guy, but Frank and I would feel more comfortable if you had someone else keep watch," Fenton explained, looking at the Captain.

Gordon gave a perplexed look but didn't ask for an explanation, much to the Hardy's relief. "Sure thing Fenton. I'll have Officer Radley drop by later today," he told them, shaking the elder Hardy's hand. He looked over at the boy sitting on the chair. "Frank," he acknowledged before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Fenton sighed again and sat back down at the chair he had vacated when the Captain arrived. "I hope they can find something against Williams," Frank told his dad. He kept quiet during the time Gordon was there, not feeling like saying anything.

"I know, me too," Fenton said. "But like Gordon said, hopefully Joe will wake up and he can tell us the truth." Frank just nodded and grabbed Joe's hand. Neither one said anything until Officer Radley came to stand his guard over the young Hardy boy.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

It was later that night, after both Hardy's had returned to their hotel rooms hours before, when a dark figure silently walked into the hospital. He was able to slip past the front desk and up the stairs without anybody noticing. When he got to the floor he wanted, he peeked around the corner and watched as Officer Radley walked away from his post with a cigarette in his hand. The dark figure smiled and quietly walked down the hall and opened the door to Joseph Hardy's room before the nurses came back from their shifts.

The figure walked up to the unconscious boy and placed a hand on Joe's chest. He felt it rise and fall thanks to the tube down the boy's throat. "You're lucky that your dad and brother found you in time," he growled. "But I'm not gonna let you wake up," he continued before taking his hand off of Joe's chest and disconnecting the tube from his mouth. The dark figure quickly left the room and went down the hallway. He had just turned the corner when he heard a loud beeping noise and nurses rushing to the boy's room. He smiled wickedly as he descended the stairs and left the hospital.


	10. Still No Progress

**A/N:** Thanks everyone for the reviews...almost at 100! ;) Two more chapters after this one, so stick around! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Still No Progress**

Back at the hotel, both Frank and Fenton were sleeping in their beds while everything was happening at the hospital. Frank's nightmares seemed to stop when his brother was found and tonight started out fine until a few minutes ago. He was dreaming until suddenly he was having trouble breathing. He tried to wake up but couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. Then he felt something on his chest and pain took over, like he was being shocked. What felt like hours only happened in a few minutes and Frank sprung up from his bed, gasping and taking deep breaths of air.

Frank sat there for a little bit, taking in more air and trying to clear his head. _'What the heck was that about?'_ he thought. Suddenly the adjoining door opened, revealing his worried father.

"Frank? What's wrong?" asked his dad, seeing the sweaty, confused look on his son's face.

Frank looked at his dad. "What? Nothing," he lied. "What's wrong with you?" he asked in return, changing the subject.

Fenton knew something was wrong, but ignored it. "We need to get dressed. Captain Gordon just called; something happened with Joe," he told him. Once the words left his father's mouth, Frank quickly jumped out of bed and got dressed while Fenton did the same. Within ten minutes, they were able to get to the hospital.

They ran to Joe's room where they were met by Captain Gordon, Dr. Sherman, and an unfamiliar officer. "What happened? Is Joe okay?" asked Fenton.

Dr. Sherman answered. "Your son is fine. It took a while, but we were able to get him back." He continued when he saw their confused looks. "Somehow, the tube that's giving him oxygen was disconnected and he stopped breathing. When that happened, his heart stopped and the monitor went off. The nurses were able to come in with a defibrillator and start his heart back up again," he informed them. Frank looked at him, stunned; he realized what had just happened to him, happened to Joe.

"I don't understand," said his father. "How did that happened?" he asked.

This time, Captain Gordon answered his question. "We believe that his kidnapper tried to finish what he started."

"But isn't that why Officer Radley was supposed to keep watch? So this didn't happen?" Frank asked with anger in his voice.

"He was outside smoking when it happened," Gordon said, disappointed. "I sent him home and brought Officer Dayes here to take over," he continued, pointing to the unfamiliar officer. "Radley called me when he came back inside and I called you after I talked to Dr. Sherman. I also checked the security cameras and all you can see is a dark figure. He had his face covered and no one seemed to see him coming or going," he finished, looking from both Fenton and Frank.

The Hardy's looked at each other before Fenton asked what they were both thinking. "Was the sheriff here at all?"

Gordon slightly narrowed his eyes and looked at them, confused. "I don't believe so," he said, slowly. "He should have been at home." Fenton nodded his head and looked over at Frank, who nodded as well.

"Well," Dr. Sherman interrupted. "Joe is doing fine now, so if you want, you can stay for a bit," he told them. Fenton said "thanks" before both him and Frank went into the room.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

The Hardy's were able to stay for a few minutes before deciding that Joe would be a lot safer with Officer Dayes on the job, so they went back to their hotel. Even though he knew Joe was safe now, Frank couldn't get much sleep…his last 'experience' freaked him out. He just laid in bed, looking up at the dark ceiling, his arms behind his head. He couldn't believe that the kidnapper tried to kill his brother again. He wanted nothing more than to go over to Williams' house and make him go through what his brother did, but that wouldn't do anybody any good. Trying to escape his thoughts, he finally fell asleep.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

The next morning, Frank and Fenton went back to the hospital and were thankful that nothing else had happened, but were disappointed that Joe still hadn't improved. Every time they were there, they would tell Joe words of encouragement, how much they missed him, were proud of him, and how much they loved him, hoping that something would get him to wake up. One day when Fenton had left to get food, Frank even told his brother about his second nightmare he had, the night Joe almost died again. He didn't know why he had those, but at least he had an idea of what Joe went through…and that he was sorry that he didn't go with him to get some fresh air that night. Frank just hoped and prayed that Joe would wake up soon.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

Two weeks had gone by and Joe still hadn't improved…but the kidnapper hadn't tried anything else, which was good news. Officer Dayes was doing a good job at watching over Joe at nights and the Hardy's were very thankful. They were also thankful towards Captain Gordon, who was still working on the investigation. Before they left every night, Frank would grab Joe's hand and tell him, "We'll be right back tomorrow morning…I promise," before giving his hand a small squeeze and leaving. It was always hard for both Frank and Fenton to leave, but they knew he was in good hands with Dayes and the hospital staff.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

Later that evening, the dark figure from before showed up, except this time, he wasn't covering his face or trying to sneak in. With the help of his badge, he was able to get into Joe's room. He walked up to the boy and again, placed his hand on Joe's chest. "I underestimated you Joseph. You're a lot stronger than I thought you were," he told the still boy. "I'm not gonna try to kill you again, at least not yet, but I am going to tell you something; something that I'll only say once, so you better be listening." The man then bent down and whispered in Joe's ear before straightening back up. "Just remember Joseph…I'll be watching," he threatened, leaving the room and then the hospital.


	11. Awake and Who Done It?

**A/N:** I know I say this every chapter, but thanks for the reviews (yay, made it to over 100)!

The question about Laura...I added an author's note in the first chapter after I posted it, so some of you may have missed it. I completely forgot to write Laura into this and by the time I remembered, I was almost done, so I just didn't add her...don't hate me!

Wendylouwho10 - I think with comas, it may depend on how critical the person is on whether they go to a home hospital. I'm pretty sure I've heard/read stories of people staying in a different hospital till they got better. Plus, I never thought about that, so he's still in Florida. And the officer showed his badge to Officer Dayes, since he's keeping watch over Joe. I'm not sure about when police officers visiting patients like that they have to sign in or whatever, but when I visit people in the hospital, I never had to sign in, so I'm not sure if that's a "required" thing for every hospital...

The 'legit' reason he had to visit Joe was to tell him something, which you'll find out later what he said :)

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Awake and Who Done It?**

It had been a little over a month and Joe was still in a coma; however, the Hardy's were thrilled that he had made some progress. One morning when they came in, Dr. Sherman had told them that over the night, Joe started to breathe again on his own, so they took the oxygen tube out of this mouth. He hadn't woken up, but it was a good sign that he could soon. Frank and Fenton were relieved to see the tube gone and had told Joe that they were proud.

"See Joe? We knew you could do it," Frank told his brother, smiling. He took a hold of his hand and said, "Now you just need to wake up. Don't you think you've been sleeping long enough?" he joked. Fenton smiled and squeezed Joe's other hand with Frank saying what the elder Hardy was thinking.

That was last week and still nothing new. The Hardy's were there so often that the entire staff knew them by name and their stories; and the nurses loved hearing the ones Frank told about their patient. Even though they've only known Joe as "the kid in the coma," it felt like they had known him his whole life and they hoped he would wake up so this family could be together again.

Six days later, while Fenton was out in the hall talking to Dr. Sherman and Frank was by himself in Joe's room sleeping on the chair, the prone figure on the bed began to slightly move; but not enough to wake his brother. First, his hand with the IV twitched a little, then his brows furrowed as he slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a couple of times before looking around and finding his older brother next to him. "Frank?" he said, barely above a whisper.

Completely sound asleep, Frank wasn't sure why he had woken up…until he looked over and saw two blue eyes staring at him. "Joe?!" he said, excitedly. He got up and gave him a hug, which Joe returned, weakly. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're awake!" Frank told him when they parted. He looked over at the closed door and yelled. "Dad! Get in here, quick!"

Fenton and Dr. Sherman rushed into the room when they heard Frank and were happy to see what greeted them. "Joseph!" Fenton said, smiling and running to his youngest to give him a hug. He separated from his son but didn't let go of him completely. "How are you feeling?" he asked with concern.

"Okay I guess," Joe answered hoarsely. He looked behind his dad and noticed the familiar face. "Dr. Sherman, right?" he asked.

The doctor came up to the foot of the bed and nodded. "I'm glad you remembered," he said as he was smiling. "We were all rooting for you son. And your father and brother were here all the time during visiting hours…they were really worried," he told them.

Joe looked over at his dad and brother when the doctor said that and smiled at them. "I would do the same if it were one of them," he said.

Dr. Sherman just smiled as he checked Joe's vitals, telling them that everything looked good but he would have to stay there for a couple more nights. When he was done, he quietly left the room so the family could have some privacy.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

The next morning, Fenton, Frank, and Captain Gordon were all in Joe's room to hear what happened the night he was kidnapped. "It's nice to finally meet you Joe," Gordon said when he walked in as the younger Hardy just nodded. "Now, can you tell me what happened…from the beginning?" he asked, taking out a note pad and pen.

Joe looked at his father and brother. "I don't know, I don't remember much," he said.

Nobody noticed the confused look on Frank's face as Fenton took Joe's hand and gave it a squeeze. "It's okay son. Just tell us what you do remember," he told him with a smile.

"Okay," Joe said, nodding. "I remember walking down the sidewalk before I was pulled into an alley. A guy put his hand over my mouth and had a knife to my throat. He told me to not do anything stupid or he would kill me…and he threatened to kill you guys," he said, looking at his family. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Then he dragged me to a car and threw me in the trunk. He said something about being the same guy who attacked you dad…and if Frank and I hadn't had stopped him, you'd be dead and he wouldn't have had to grab me," he told Fenton.

His dad looked at him, shocked. "With you being missing, I completely forgot about that," he said quietly.

Frank looked at his dad. "So it wasn't just a robbery…"

Gordon looked at the Hardy's. "Could be someone with a grudge against you, Fenton," he said. Fenton looked puzzled, trying to think who it could be. "Back to Joe, what happened after you were in the trunk?" he continued.

Joe just shook his head. "I don't know. Like I said, I don't remember," he said, looking down at his hands.

"You arrived at the hospital with cuts, bruises, and broken ribs…you don't remember how you got them?" Gordon asked.

"No, I told you that. I was in the trunk and then I was here," Joe answered, still looking down.

Gordon just nodded before asking to speak with Fenton out in the hall. The confused look Frank had earlier was back again, but he didn't say anything, not even when he and Joe were alone. Fenton was gone for a few minutes before coming back in without the Captain. "He said he'll be back tomorrow or the day after, hopefully with your memory back," he informed them when he sat back down.

Frank watched his brother as he nodded at their dad. _'He's hiding something,'_ he thought. _'Maybe I can get him to talk later...but he needs to know that he's safe.'_

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

Later that day, Fenton had gone back to the hotel for a bit while Frank stayed with Joe. They had been goofing around and telling stories, laughing till it hurt Joe's ribs too much. "I'm glad you're back, bro," Frank said when they had settled down.

Joe looked at him and smiled. "Thanks…me too." Joe had told him that he had heard almost everything his dad and brother told him when he was in the coma, including Frank's nightmares. "It's weird that you were experiencing what I went through," he told him while Frank nodded. "Guess it shows how close we are, huh?" he asked, smiling and looking down.

"Yeah. Dad said we're the closest siblings he ever knew," Frank said, smiling. He waited a few minutes before continuing. "I have a question. How come you remembered who Dr. Sherman was and getting kidnapped, but nothing else? I mean, if you were knocked out, wouldn't the beatings have woken you up?" he asked.

Joe hesitated before he answered. "I don't know, I just don't." He looked away when Frank wouldn't stop staring at him.

"I know you're not telling the whole truth, Joe," he said. "You remember everything, don't you?" When he didn't get a response, he continued. "You don't have to be scared. Dad and I are here now…just tell us what happened and who did it and he can be arrested," he assured him, placing his hand on top of Joe's.

Joe didn't look at his brother and hated that he was right. They could always tell if the other wasn't being 100% truthful and knew there was no point in keeping it a secret from his big brother. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "He took me to an old cabin in the woods," he finally said. "He dragged me inside to another room and tied me up. Then he kicked me and hit me over the head and I blacked out." He paused. "I don't know how long I was there, but he would come in every now and then to hit, kick, or punch me," he confessed.

Frank listened to his brother, his jaw clenching as he remembered finding the blood in that very room.

"One time he came in and said that we were leaving, so he tied my hands in front of me and he put me back in the trunk. When we stopped, he forced me out and I saw where we were and what he was gonna do," he said, quietly. He took another pause. "He forced me in that coffin and buried me alive," he continued even quieter, closing his eyes. "I can still hear the dirt covering the lid. I tried screaming, but it didn't work. After a while, I just waited for you and dad to find me…and I prayed that I would still be alive by then." He opened his eyes when he felt a couple of tears come down his cheeks.

Frank sat there in silence, a comforting hand on top his brother's and another on his shoulder. He waited before asking the big question. "Joe…do you know who did this?" he quietly asked.

Joe looked away from his brother, going over things in his head. Even with Frank's reassurance, he was still scared; for him and his family. He was told about the second attempt on his life, but what his dad, brother, and doctor didn't know was that his kidnapper visited him again. He had heard what he said both times and knew he meant it, but with his brother here knowing he could tell if he lied, he wasn't sure what to do. Finally he looked over at him and said the four words Frank had been longing to hear for over a month: "It was the sheriff."


	12. An Arrest Is Made

**A/N:** I'm glad you guys enjoyed that chapter! Yes Joe is awake, but there's still the threat of his kidnapper out there... ;)

Without further ado, the last chapter :)

* * *

 **Chapter 12: An Arrest Is Made**

After Joe's confession, Frank waited with him till their dad got back, who they immediately told and who called Captain Gordon afterwards. When the Captain showed up, he again pulled out his note pad and pen. "I'm sorry I wasn't being honest before," Joe said, looking at Gordon. "I was scared," he continued, moving his eyes down to his hands.

"It's okay Joe, but there's no need to be scared now," the Captain told him. "Now, why don't we start where you left off from last time?"

Joe nodded and with the comfort and safety of his dad and brother on either side, he told his story for the third time. When he said the sheriff was the one who did it, Gordon looked surprised.

"Are you sure it was him?" he asked, not wanting to believe. He was answered with a nod and a 'yes.' "Geez," he said. "I can't believe Tate would do that…" He looked down at his note pad for a couple of minutes before continuing. "Thank you Joe, I think I have everything I need. I'll send officers out to his house so he can be brought in," he told them as he walked to the door.

"Thank you Captain. We appreciate everything you've been doing," Fenton said as he shook Gordon's hand and closed the door behind him. He went back to his chair and sat down. "Frank and I never trusted that guy…and then when we found the property papers to the cabin in his house…" Fenton said, drifting off and getting upset. He calmed down before looking at his youngest and giving his hand a small squeeze. "They'll find and arrest him in no time," he told him with a smile.

Joe looked at his dad and gave him a small smile before looking down. Why was a part of him feeling guilty?

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

By the next day, there had been no news on Tate's arrest but Fenton and Frank had been optimistic to Joe that he'd be found. Meanwhile, Dr. Sherman had told the Hardy's that Joe had recovered well enough that he could go home later that day, much to all of their relief. Throughout their time in the room before discharging, Frank had noticed that Joe seemed different at times, but just chalked it up to leaving the hospital and Tate still being free. Whenever he started to act a little differently, it would last a few seconds and then he would snap out of it. It happened so fast that nobody noticed it…except for Frank. _'He may be starting to act like himself, but with what he's been through, he may need to get some help…and I'll be there for him every step of the way,'_ he thought.

It wasn't long before Joe was getting dressed in his room while his father and brother were signing the discharge papers. After saying thanks and good-byes to Dr. Sherman and the nurses, the Hardy's got into a taxi and headed back to their hotel, where both Frank and Joe flopped down on their beds the second they walked in. "Aw man…this isn't home, but it feels good to be out of there," Joe said with his eyes closed.

"Amen brother," agreed Frank, looking at the ceiling while their dad smiled at them.

"I hate to leave, but I'm going to go to the police station and see if there have been updates or if they need help," Fenton said. He went to each bed and gave his sons a kiss on their head before leaving.

Neither brother moved from their spots after their dad left until there was a knock on the door. They both let out a groan, not wanting to get up. After another knock, Frank finally got up and answered the door where he was met with Tate Williams holding a gun. Without saying a word, he pushed Frank back with his free hand and closed the door before locking it, not taking his gun off the older Hardy.

By this time, Joe had sat up in his bed and kept looking back and forth from the man with the gun and his brother. "What do you want Tate?" Frank asked, moving slightly towards Joe.

Tate looked at Frank and then at Joe and pointed his gun at him. "You're gonna start telling the truth," he told him.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

Back at the police station, Fenton had walked up to Gordon and was gonna ask him if he needed any help. He was told before that they were looking everywhere for the sheriff, but it was like he just disappeared. This time however, they had gotten something. "Fenton, I'm glad you're here," Gordon said when he walked up. "We got a call from Tate not too long ago," he told him.

"What'd he say?" asked Fenton, surprised.

"Just that he was innocent and he was gonna prove it," Gordon told him.

Fenton looked at him in confusion for a few seconds before it dawned on him. "The boys!" he said, dashing out of the station with Gordon and other officers right behind.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

"What are you talking about?" asked a confused Frank.

Tate looked over at him, his gun still on Joe. "I thought I was helping when I wrote that note telling you where your brother was, but it just backfired on me," he told him.

Frank looked at him, still puzzled. "Wait, you sent that note?"

Tate ignored him. "I got fired because of that note and now I'm being blamed for this," he continued, moving his gaze to the younger Hardy who was still sitting on the bed. "I was doing illegal fights at night and he found out…threatened me to go along with everything or he'd arrest me. I didn't want to but I did…and then I sent that note and he was furious when he found out," he mumbled. His voice growled when he continued. "Now I'm a wanted man because of you!" He raised the gun towards Joe's head but Frank got in the way.

"What are you talking about?" he repeated.

Tate looked from Frank to Joe. "Tell him the truth!" he yelled. "You tell him that you've never seen my face until now or I'll kill him!" he said, pointing his gun at Frank's chest.

Frank looked at his brother with a perplexed look. Joe's breathing got heavier as he went from Tate to Frank, a scared look on his face. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "He told me to blame you or he'd kill my family," he whispered, still looking at Tate and his brother.

"That's not good enough!" Tate yelled. "Tell him who really did it or I swear I'll shoot him!" he said again, cocking the gun. Frank didn't stop staring at his brother, even with the threat of death in front of him.

Before anyone could do anything else, the adjoining door burst open and a gun shot went off. Both Frank and Joe jumped, not knowing who got hit. When Frank saw that Joe was okay and that he didn't feel any pain himself, he looked over at where Tate was standing and saw him lying on the floor. Then he looked up and saw his dad and a couple of officers standing by the open door and Captain Gordon in front of them, holding his smoking gun. "Frank, Joe, are you boys all right?" asked their dad as he went up to them to give them a hug.

"We're fine," Frank said quietly as he returned to look at his little brother. Joe still sat at the edge of the bed, starting at Tate's dead body.

"Did he tell you anything?" Gordon asked as he kicked Tate's gun away.

Frank looked at him. "Just that he was innocent, he sent us that note, and that Joe was lying."

Fenton looked at his youngest, took a hold of his arm, and had him stand up so that he was looking at him. "Why did he say that?" he asked, but got no response.

During the silence, Frank was still staring at the Captain, who was looking at Joe and who still had his gun drawn. That's when Frank realized that whenever Joe's demeanor changed, Gordon was around. He would slightly tense up when Gordon talked and he never looked him in the eyes when the Captain spoke towards him. Frank looked over at Joe. "I'm so sorry Joe," he said quietly. His brother and father looked at him. "You've been trying to tell us the truth, but I think I was so caught up in you being safe and blaming Tate that I never noticed it," he continued.

When Frank noticed that Joe did a side long glance at Gordon, he stepped in between them. Putting his hands on Joe's shoulders, he had him look him in his eyes and said, "It's okay Joe. You don't have to be scared anymore…I'm here."

Seeing the trust and seriousness in his big brother's eyes, Joe let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. "He was right. I did lie," he said quietly. "It was Gordon who did everything, not Tate. He had me blame the sheriff or he would kill you and dad," he confessed.

When he heard that, Fenton looked at Gordon with anger filled eyes. "He's lying!" the Captain yelled when he saw the look on the elder Hardy's face. He was gonna say something else but a punch to the jaw stopped him. Fenton stared at him on the floor, his fist throbbing, as the other officers arrested him. "You stupid brat! You were supposed to die so your father knew what if felt like to lose a son!" he screamed as he was being led away.

Frank looked at Gordon with disgust and hatred, his hands still on Joe's shoulders. He looked back at his brother when he heard him say "I'm sorry" again.

Fenton came up to them. "You have nothing to be sorry about son," he told him as he grabbed both of them into a bear hug.

 **HBHBHBHBHBHBHBHB**

A few hours later, Joe and Frank were giving their statements to officers outside their hotel while a body bag came out and was put into a waiting ambulance. With all three Hardy's together, Officer Dayes, who had protected Joe at night while he was in a coma, told them why Gordon did all of this. He had confessed to everything and said that he saw Fenton walking that first night and attacked him. He was going to kill him when he saw Frank and Joe coming. When he ran away, he had an idea to kidnap and kill Joe to get revenge for what Fenton did when he still worked at the NYPD. His son, Jaeson Kreps, had robbed a bank and was holding hostages, threatening to kill them. Fenton was the one who took Jaeson out before he could hurt anyone. Gordon and his ex-wife divorced before Jaeson was born and before Gordon was a cop, so he just took his mother's maiden name; and his son was 17 when he died, which is why he went after Joe.

"I remember that," Fenton said silently, looking at his sons. After a while, he looked at Officer Dayes. "What about the property papers that we found in Tate's house?" he asked.

"Gordon confessed to planting those. He was hoping that you'd do some investigating yourself and find them," Dayes told him. Fenton nodded his thanks while the officer left the Hardy's.

"Some trip, huh?" Joe said, looking at his family. He smiled when Frank and Fenton looked at him and grinned.

With no worry about any trials, the Hardy's had no reason to stay in Florida any longer. "Why don't we go home a little early this year?" suggested their father. Both boys happily nodded, already counting down the minutes before they could lay in their own beds. With a laugh, Fenton walked over to Dayes to make sure it was okay for them to go home. After he got a yes, he called a taxi while a couple of officers went to get their stuff for them.

When everything was all packed and in the taxi, all three men relaxed in the backseat as their driver took them to the airport. Sitting in the middle and leaning his head back against the seat, Joe closed his eyes. "Thank you guys…for everything," he simply said without opening his eyes.

Frank looked at his brother, then his dad who smiled, and back at Joe. "Anytime little brother," he replied. Joe didn't say anything as he smiled in return.

The rest of the car ride and plane ride were quiet until they got home hours later. They had never been so happy (and relieved and relaxed) until at that moment when they sat down on the couch. "So," Joe said, ending the silence. "Since we're home now…you were right Frank. You should have just left without me," he said with a sly smirk. Frank and Fenton looked at him and broke out in laughter. They were together again, they were a family again...and that's all that mattered.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N:** Did I surprise you about who really did it? ;) My original idea was to have Tate be it but when I was writing it, I was like "no, that's too obvious...let's have the captain do it and then blame the sheriff!" lol...I hope you still liked it! :) And sorry again about not having Laura in it...

Any-who, I'm _sooo_ happy that all of you loved my story! Thank you so much for all the reads and reviews! :D


End file.
